Lucky Baskhar Movie Review: Made For Dulquer Salmaan, But…
Venky Atluri directed Lucky Baskhar starring Dulquer Salmaan aims big but falls short of delivery albeit the spectacular production design and the acting performance by the lead actor. Lucky Baskhar, as it was marketed, is not just about the ambitions and survival tactics of one man, but it is also about the system, money, financial institutions and the all those people who are greedy including a certain notorious man his name starts with Harshad. As it was anticipated the story is about a man who finds small and big means to make it big in life. However, the undemanding screenplay which often falls out of the rhythm, written by the director himself, offers only a few active scenarios even when some scenes and moments are set up really well.
There are two elements those help Lucky Baskhar excel: The near to perfect production design that recreated the Bombay of 1990s and the never-disappointing and convincing acting by Dulquer Salmaan.
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It seems like Dulquer would never disappoint you in the period dramas or stories those are set in the past which had already proved that in Seetharamam, Kammatipaadam, Kurup and Mahanati. Dulquer with his signature curtain bangs, which was popular in the 1990s, often associated with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp, is a spectacle and that was not the only thing that will prompt you to keep looking at the protagonist till the credit rolls. He has in a way perfected his presentation of all emotions with proper depth and characterisation that comes easy for an experienced actor. The screenplay has made it sure that Dulquer’ Baskhar Kumar, a struggling middle-class low-level banking professional, is everywhere and not missing a scene in the entire movie.
Though it can be called the stereotypical film studio production design, the Bombay you see on Lucky Baskhar has a vibe of the old houses, offices and the streets those can become characters themselves with a particular aesthetic beauty.
The story is what actually you have heard or seen in the trailer. Baskhar Kumar (Dulquer Salmaan) is having a plenty of financial problems and have to look after a joint family. He is being even condemned publicly when he is late to pay off debts. But, things take a ‘cinematic turn’ when he finds out that there are way outs to salvage his pride. The banking professional he is, this way out becomes easy for him. He uses money from the bank to make some quick bucks. Then the game changes entirely when he gets to know about the big deals involving big names of the time.
The non-linear way of story telling which some aberrations might kill your ability to enjoy the movie. However, the entry of Harshad Mehta and his dealings will give you proper Scam 1992 feeling to the entire plot. Here, Baskhar, then a big official with his bank, is the hero and Harshad is just a unseen character who does all the manipulations with Bank Receipts.
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The movie has neatly done the necessary references to make the second half effective with the Harshad Mehta scam of 1992 which was one of India’s largest financial scandals, involving stock market manipulation and fraud worth approximately INR 5,000 crore. Harshad Mehta, a stockbroker, exploited loopholes in the banking system to artificially inflate stock prices with method, known as “the replacement cost theory,” involved securing loans from banks and using these funds to buy massive amounts of shares, driving up prices, and then selling them at a profit.
As seen in Lucky Baskhar, banks played a crucial role in enabling Mehta’s activities, primarily due to the misuse of bank receipts (BRs). Mehta convinced banks to issue BRs as proof of security for inter-bank lending, but, in reality, no actual securities were transferred. These fake BRs allowed him to secure substantial funds, which he then used to influence the stock market. In the movie, Bhaskar becomes on official from one bank who manages the BRs for Harshad Mehta (the character has that name in the movie).
There, Baskhar, finds a way to make big money. Then the story develops into another level and the movie starts to handle larger details of major financial frauds.
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Amidst everything happens, even when you realise that you are engaging with a story that can’t offer you nothing more than a predictable narration, you will not feel bad for Dulquer because he single-handedly supports the film even in its middling areas.
The limitation for the director (also the writer) Venky Atluri is the depth of the story. Because, you might have seen a lot of such stories and making that story into something bigger than what was anticipated is a major challenge. In this regard, Venky Atluri’s script is half-rewarding but misses the chance to make it efficacious. The script, in most times, clings on between the sudden burst of ingenuity and predictability. There are many scenes which would give you feeling of Dejavu and repetition because of the cold approach to the writing.
Timeline verdict: Lucky Baskhar is absorbing and can keep you invested but elements of repetition and anticipation might ruin the fun. The charm, allure and the magnetism Dulquer Salmaan carry in a tailormade role is spellbinding.
